The Blog

As avid supporters of food hub initiatives across BC, we’ve been thrilled to work with the team from Kitchen Connect in Victoria. They engaged us to develop their business plan, establish their brand and website, plus a market research project that ultimately led to a marketing planning initiative.

As a small food business owner, there are many options for your marketing mix. Many people put too much emphasis on just using social media to get their brand and product noticed. The truth is, email can be the most powerful component of your digital marketing channels, with a larger audience appeal and greater reach.

Venture-Capital Ready is a new program for women-led food businesses to help them prepare for investor conversations. Farm Food Drink has partnered with long-time colleagues at Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA) to build and launch many components for this initiative.

Do you plan to sell your products at Farmers Markets this year? The start of market season is fast approaching and the time to plan and prepare is now! There is a myriad of things that need your attention so you’re not scrambling and stressing at the last minute.

Conducting market research is important for you to find decision-influencing information for your business plan. We typically think of market research as being done by big corporations with big budgets and complicated processes. As a small Canadian farm, food, or drink business owner, you can adapt your research approaches to be simpler and less costly, while still gaining valuable insights to guide your growth.

You have a vision for your agri-food business, but the sector is still in a bit of a mess with volatile markets and disruptive social situations. Inflation continues, purchasing and distribution options change, retailers alter their programs and processes. There continues to be a lot of change and challenges.
So, what should you focus on in 2024 in order to move towards your 2025 goals?
Farm Food Drink’s recommendation is to embrace ‘clarity’.

Owning a business can be all consuming, occupying your mind 24/7. As Christmas approaches, the temptation to maintain an unwavering focus on your business goals may be strong, but taking time off during the holidays can prove to be a strategic decision with profound benefits.

In this season of giving, let’s see how we can introduce more people to the fabulous local food products offered by you and your fellow BC food producers.

For many food businesses, farmers markets are their primary sales channel. For some, they can be a stepping stone enroute to large grocery (chains) or bigger markets. And for others, they do both, what we call a blended sales & margin strategy – these food businesses do large capacity sales through grocery accounts and continue with farmers markets with higher margins, and the ability to launch/test new products or do short run items.

Market research is a crucial component to building any food business. Sharing our research expertise, Farm Food Drink recently collaborated with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to conduct two research projects with the Masters of Food and Research Economics program.

Do you use your location name in any part of your branding? Your town, region, or province? Depending on what you’re selling and to whom, incorporating a sense of place somewhere in your brand can be very appealing and lucrative. Some location names will be familiar to consumers, and others will sound exotic and intriguing.

We’re in a season where farms and plantings look their best. It’s a great opportunity to visually capture your growing products or ingredients and build your marketing assets for year-round promotions. For food processors, you’re likely into your high production season, sourcing from vendors, and selling at farm markets, etc. These are all great photo opportunities.